History

Details

Gatehouse tower known as The Keep: entrance to military barracks. 1879 to 1881.
Designed by Army Divisional Surveyor, Thomas Berry, with Major Crozier, RE as part of
barracks for Prince Albert's Somersetshire Light Infantry (36th Brigade Depot). Red
brick in English bond with some yellow brick three course bands, dressed stone
details; flat asphalt surfaced roof, plain brick chimney stacks. An imposing,
fortress-like block of four storeys with a pair of taller, projecting, rectangular
towers flanking the street front and a single taller rectangular tower projecting
from the north east corner on the inner or barrack yard front. A central carriage
way with arch centries to both fronts. Crenellated parapets to main block and towers:
widely spaced crenels with dressed stone sills. Parapets set forward on a dressed
stone cornice band supported on closely spaced brick strip corbels. The outer corner
of the parapet to the east tower on the street front is raised to provide anchorage
for flagpole. Three dressed stone bands, one at window sill level on each upper
storey, dressed stone lintols and sills to all windows on all elevations. Street
front: the inner return walls of the flanking towers are curved with the corners of
the upper stages above supported on elaborate corbelling. Each corbel has a moulded
stone base and two dressed stone bands above alternating with brick offsets or
vertical panels. The corbelled angle of the east tower is higher, in the third stage
of the tower, than the corresponding corbel of the west tower. Battered plinth with
moulded stone offset capping and two yellow brick bands, tne lower band at sill
level and upper band at level of stone transoms in the two slit windows to either side
of archway. Bands continue on the towers and in the slightly projecting wing walls
to either side of towers. Wing walls have a lower stone capped plinth. Above ground
floor lintols a continuous moulded stone string course. Recessed brick jambs and
stone segmental arch in two orders to carriage-way with stone string course following
extrados curve. The upper stone arch is painted blue-green with JELLALLAD inscribed
in white. Double doors framed in three vertical panels with vertical boards: wicket
door in the R.H. leaf. C4.strap hinges and top rail spikes. Within the arch a
decorative pieced metal screen. On each upper floor of main clock, six narrow or
slit windows with recessed casements. The flanking towers have similar slit windows
and a two light casement with top light over transom to the front of the east tower,
also pairs or single musket loops with stone sills and heads on each storey placed to
give covering fire across entrance. The front to the barrack yard has similar
archway to carriage-way, stone hoodmould with side drops. Irregular fenestration to
either side and nine-slit windows with inset casements to each storey above. The
tower to left has staggered slit windows lighting stair to the front and a musket
loop for flanking fire across entrance on each stage of the return wall. Interior
not inspected. The name of the barracks comnemorates the involvement of Prince
Albert's 13th Light Infantry Regiment (from 1879 Prince Albert's Somersetshire Light
Infantry) in the siege of Jellallabad Afghanistan 1841-42.

Listing NGR: ST2284224119

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number: 361621

Legacy System: LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

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